


A Step Into the Future

by KH310-S (Author_of_Kheios)



Series: Mer-Quarium [4]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Elijah meets his match, Gen, Josh as a manta ray mer, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 11:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22969639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Author_of_Kheios/pseuds/KH310-S
Summary: AquaLife is a good start to mending things between humans and merfolk, but someone needs to move the process along...
Relationships: Elijah Kamski & Josh
Series: Mer-Quarium [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1476737
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	A Step Into the Future

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jukraft](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jukraft/gifts).



~

Melusine are actually born with their magic. The very existence of merfolk is, in itself, a natural magic, but the magic of melusine burns brighter, to borrow the human colloquial. I have more magic in me than the average mer does, and my magic allows me to learn more and faster than anyone I have ever met; gives me access to more of my memory than even the most complex human computer banks. I have already assimilated the entirety of known human history in less than two years, and that on top of my knowledge of mer history, an accomplishment hereto unclaimed by any single mer, because of how difficult it is to keep records underwater. And I am not even the most powerful melusine currently living. Of course, that doesn't even account for our gods, the Leviathan, Chthulu and Phoenix. Magic is incredibly complex, and to support so many powerful beings, the universe balances it by limiting the number of such beings that exist. As a result, the birth of a melusine is incredibly rare; the birth of mer is already a miracle, but only a fraction of that small percentage become melusine. If my calculations are correct ― and I have little doubt they are ― then the chances for a melusine birth are approximately point-zero-zero-zero-zero-zero-one. I am, literally, one in a million.

Dr. Joshua Kamski, PhD

~

A knock on the door of Elijah's office draws his attention from the tank that makes up his back wall. It contains no mer; small as it is, even W would be uncomfortable. No, this tank contains only a couple of jellyfish that are recovering from being caught in a discarded net.

"Come in." The perplexed look on Allen's face when he enters gets Elijah's attention. "Did Martin get out again?"

"Wh- No. I mean, yes, but that's not what I'm here for," Allen says, shaking his head like he can't believe what he's about to say. "You... You have a call. From a mer."

"What."

"Lucy just screened a call from some fisherman claiming that he's with a mer who wants to speak to Elijah Kamski."

"Me?" Elijah blinks. "They asked for me by name?"

"Apparently," Allen shrugs, baffled.

Curious, Elijah follows him to the lobby, where Lucy is waiting, an intrigued expression on her face. She smiles warmly when she sees him and picks up the phone, holding it out to him without a word. When he takes it, she presses a button to take it off hold.

"Kamski speaking."

"One sec," a gruff voice grunts. "Here ya go, fish."

"It's 'mer,'" a faint, annoyed voice corrects. Then it gets louder. "Elijah Kamski?"

"That's me," he agrees, frowning. "Who is this?"

"My name is Joshua. I'm a mer; specifically, a melusine. I want to make a deal with you."

"Wait, hold on. What's a... melusine?"

"Oh... You really need me," Joshua hums, sounding almost as though he's thinking aloud. "Alright, I'll put it as simply as I can. Melusine are mer whose magic is strong enough to manifest beyond the fact of their existence."

"Magic."

"You sound sceptical."

"Just a little bit."

"Then let me prove it. My talent is knowledge. I know more than any mer currently living, sans the gods, and I have no doubt I could compare in level of intelligence to any of your human geniuses in history. Ask me any question related to the sea."

"Only to the sea?"

"Ah, the crux of it," Joshua chuckles. "Being a sea-bound creature, I can't delve into humanity's stores of knowledge without assistance. That's why I want to make a deal with you; I will share what knowledge I can regarding mer culture and history, and in exchange, you help me learn about humans."

"I don't think I need proof," Elijah smirks. "You sound like- well, I was going to say you sound like a respectable man of science, but I suppose that's incorrect."

"In more ways than one," Joshua laughs. "I am not a man, nor do I share your definitions of science and magic. Do we have a deal?"

"I think we do. Where are you? I'll send someone to pick you up."

"No need; I have already secured transport to AquaLife. If you would provide payment for their services...?"

"Of course. I look forward to meeting you in person."

"Likewise." Joshua's voice quiets. "Thank you, sir."

"Sure, whatever." A click signals the end of the call, and Elijah hands the phone back to Lucy.

"Do me a favour, Lucy, and let Orchid and the mers know that we're expecting a guest."

"Yes, sir," she nods, heading eagerly for the mer tank.

"Sir," Allen speaks up. "One more thing... North assaulted another member of my team." He doesn't need to explain further; Elijah sighs.

"Did he at least give two weeks' notice?"

"Kinda hard to do when he's laid up in the hospital," Allen scoffs.

"Wonderful. Have you gathered potential applicants yet?"

"A few. I thought you'd like to take a look at them before I look into more."

"Bring the files to my office and we'll look over them. You've run backgrounds?"

"Yes, sir. Two in particular stand out with exemplary records: Aaron Osbourne and Luther Gerst."

"Get in contact with them and arrange meetings. In the meantime, we'll go over the rest and see about padding up your team; if North is going to keep attacking them, let's try to have a surplus instead of a skeleton crew."

"Understood."

~

It's almost disappointing, how normal AquaLife looks compared to other human buildings he's seen. But then, if it was flashy and outrageous, he'd distrust it all the more.

"How extraordinary..." Elijah hums, circling the small tank he was transported in.

"You act like you've never seen a mer before," he says, amused.

"Of course I have, but it hadn't occurred to me that even a stingray could be a mer."

"Manta ray," Joshua corrects. "There is a difference."

"Of course, of course," Elijah dismisses, fascinated. "You are... quite the specimen. Between this and your mind... You said you know the whole of mer history?"

"As much as I could find of it," Joshua sighs. "Unfortunately, merfolk aren't as good at keeping accessible records of history as humans are. I had to spend several years travelling the globe to meet with elders from every biome, sea, and clan in order to hear the retellings of stories passed down from our ancestors. Without paper, we have to keep records chiselled in stone or coral, or by word of mouth, both of which are incredibly poor record keeping methods; stories are always painted with the bias of the storyteller, and coral and stone erode over time."

"Mm, yes... Humanity had much the same struggle before paper and books and printing and so on." Elijah steps back, considering, and Joshua eyes him in return, unashamedly intrigued by the human. "A library, I think."

"A collection of books," Joshua notes. "What of it?"

"A good place for you to start learning human history."

"Only to start?" Joshua quirks a brow.

"I do believe schooling will be in order," Elijah says lightly, tapping his jaw. "Online, of course. And access to the internet in general. Hmm... Water-proof tables..." He continues mumbling to himself, pacing slowly. Joshua watches him, making note of everything he says.

"Are all humans like this?" he asks finally.

"Like what?" Elijah returns absently.

"Like this." Joshua gestures at him. "Pacing when they think, talking aloud to themselves, making plans in front of others..."

"Mm? Oh, no, not all humans, I don't think. I'm considered a bit... eccentric."

"Good. Then I can learn a lot from you."

Elijah stops pacing to look at him, surprised.

"...Yes, I suppose you can. I certainly hope so, at least." Without waiting for a response, he moves on. "Well. Shall we discuss a schedule for you? How soon do you think you can take an IQ test, so we have a baseline to work with?"

"As soon as you can give it."

~

"I finished composing the speech," Josh says as a greeting when Elijah steps out of the building by the sunning rocks.

"Already?" He isn't surprised, and Josh smiles at the thought that the man has already become accustomed to his intelligence.

A first, since most people, mer and humans alike, are put off by his insight and quick wit.

"Would you like to hear it?"

"Why not?" Elijah settles on the edge of the rocks, close enough to hear easily without being in danger of getting wet.

"The first human accounts of merfolk began with the Assyrian goddess Atargatis," Josh begins without hesitation, "who accidentally killed her human lover and, in her shame, threw herself into a lake, taking the form of a fish. But because even that couldn't conceal her beauty, she instead took on a halfway form, human from the waist up, fish from the waist down.

"This account is, in fact, false. Atargatis never existed, but her story is, however, rooted in truth; a mer princess from the days when most mer clustered in elegant underwater cities fell in love with a two-legged land-walker, and pleaded with a melusine to split her tail into legs, that she might walk on land in order to meet her beloved. She paid a great price for it, only to have her heart broken when she realised the human for whom she had fallen was already happily married. Blinded by her heartbreak, she slew the human and his wife. When she came to, she was overcome with grief and, while fleeing those who had witnessed the act, she threw herself from a cliff in hopes that she would be dashed on the rocks below. Instead, she fell into the sea and returned to her true form.

"This tale is no doubt familiar to many of you, as it later inspired the story of 'The Little Mermaid.' It is also incredibly important to both humans and mer, because it's the first recorded incident that I have found of contact between our species. Likewise, it reveals a hint of the violence that would plague our interactions for millennia to come.

"Today, we have an opportunity to bridge the gap that has formed through centuries of violence and isolation, and I am asking now for  _ your _ help; there are mer who have long suffered at the hands of humans, but so too is there a place for them to recover: AquaLife. If you know of a mer in need of help, please don't hesitate to call."

Finished, Josh looks up for approval and Elijah laughs lightly, clapping.

"Well written. I have a camera crew coming in this afternoon to film the PSA; since North isn't really accepting of outsiders ― or insiders, for that matter ― I'm thinking we'll set up a temporary tank for you somewhere in the lobby."

"No need," Josh grins. "I convinced North to stay at the bottom of the tank, so we can film it here."

"Really?" Elijah asks sceptically, brow cocked. " _ You _ convinced her?"

"With help from Lucy, yes," Josh nods. "She's surprisingly reasonable."

"Forgive me if I don't suspend my disbelief when she had to be tranq'd for her own safety and the safety of my security team just to transport her here." Josh laughs at that.

"No wonder she hates you so much. Martin is a pain in the tail, but she loves W and she doesn't mind me at all."

"...If you want me to say I'm jealous, I won't."

"Mm, too bad; I can see it in your face."

"I hate you."

"Liar."

"I'll go let the camera crew know about the changes," Elijah says shortly, standing and leaving while Josh cackles behind him.

~

The plaque is special-made, a stainless steel rectangle chiselled with words and neatly bevelled, the letters filled with dyed epoxy to make it readable.

_ The Columbia University in the City of New York _

_ under the recommendation of the board of trustees, hereby confers upon _

_ JOSHUA KAMSKI _

_ in recognition of his esteemed contributions to the study of history both on land and in the sea, and thereby advancing the causes of anthropology and merotology around the world, the Honorary Degree of _

_ DOCTOR OF HISTORY _

_ and all the rights, privileges and honours pertaining to this degree. _

_ Given at Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, on the twenty-first of March, two thousand thirty-eight. _

"Congratulations," Elijah smiles at Josh. "You are officially the first and only mer to hold a doctorate."

"An accomplishment, to be sure," Josh practically purrs, delighted. "And it only took me two years."

"Definitely an accomplishment," Elijah agrees, checking his watch. "The press conference is in a little over three hours; I can send Allen to wake you if you'd like to rest until then?"

"I think I'll be fine, but thank you," Josh assures. "North is helping me review my speech and prepare answers for the most likely questions."

"The first and foremost of which will be about your magic," Elijah predicts.

"Oh I don't doubt it," Josh agrees. "I anticipate a  _ lot _ of questions about things entirely unrelated to my new title. Thank you, by the way, for offering me your name."

"My pleasure," Elijah smirks. "I have a certain fondness for 'Doctor Kamski' as a combination."

"Narcissistic much?" Josh snorts.

"Just a bit."

**Author's Note:**

> The Mer-Quarium is back!! For a bit, at least XD
> 
> And now the whole "Dr. Joshua Kamski, PhD" thing has been explained~  
> To be clear, the snippets at the beginning of each new installation in the series are either answers to questions he was asked at the press conference, or pieces of the dissertation he wrote to get the doctorate in the first place.


End file.
